Fiesta Salad with Baked Chicken, Pineapple, and Mushrooms

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make Fiesta salad with chicken and pickled mushrooms? Gather the ingredients. You can use a whole chicken breast or one already cut into fillets - it doesn't matter. My mushrooms are pickled (button mushrooms), but fresh ones will work too; they'll just need to be sautéed. Boil the eggs ahead of time. Tip the pineapple into a sieve to drain the excess liquid.

2. Step 2:

   

   First, cook the chicken. For this salad you can boil the chicken in water, steam it, or pan-fry it, but I like it baked best. How do you bake the chicken? Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper, add your favorite spices (I keep it simple - paprika and dried basil) and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Coat the chicken with all of this, then wrap it in foil.

3. Step 3:

   

   Bake the breast until done (at 180°C / 350°F for about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the breast) - just don't overcook it! Here's how I check for doneness: I pierce the breast at its thickest point with a thin knife or skewer. If clear juices run out, the chicken is done and you can take it out of the oven. Let it cool.

4. Step 4:

   

   To help the chicken cool faster, I cut it into small pieces while it's still hot (I remove the skin).

5. Step 5:

   

   Now you can start slicing. Cut the mushrooms into slices and the onion into cubes. Mix the onion with the mushrooms.

6. Step 6:

   

   Peel the cucumber and cut it into sticks. If the skin isn't tough, damaged, or bitter, you don't need to peel it.

7. Step 7:

   

   Hard-boil the eggs. How do you hard-boil eggs? To keep them from cracking, put them in cold water and set them over low heat. Boil the eggs for 9 minutes after the water comes to a boil, then cover with cold water and cool. The sharp temperature change makes them easier to peel. Separate the yolks from the whites. Cut the whites into cubes; set the yolk aside, you'll need it for garnish.

8. Step 8:

   

   I made an individual portion, so I layered everything, but this salad is no worse if you just cut all the ingredients and toss them together. So, the first layer is chicken - pack it down well and spread it with mayonnaise (you need just a little, since the pineapple, cucumber, and mushrooms already make the salad juicy).

9. Step 9:

   

   The second layer is egg white, and again a little mayonnaise.

10. Step 10:

    

    The third layer is pineapple (no mayonnaise here). If you have rings, cut them into pieces first.

11. Step 11:

    

    The fourth layer is cucumber and a little mayonnaise.

12. Step 12:

    

    The fifth layer is mushrooms with onion. Again, a little mayonnaise. Press all the layers down well with a spoon to even out the surface.

13. Step 13:

    

    Grate the egg yolk on top. Carefully lift off the ring and serve.

14. Step 14:

    

    Enjoy!